NEWS: Measles Outbreak Reported in Florida

We have some news you should know if you’re heading to Florida soon.

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We kept you updated on all the latest COVID-19 news when the pandemic began four years ago, and we continue to update you when there are potential health hazards in Florida. Now, we’re here to report that there are reports of a measles outbreak in Florida.

According to CNN, the Florida Department of Health in Broward County is currently investigating multiple cases of measles at an elementary school in Weston, where an outbreak has occurred. No fewer than six cases have been reported in the last week.

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When unvaccinated children come into contact with the virus, 90% of them will become infected, family physician and public health specialist Dr. George Rust told CNN.

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Recently, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo wrote a letter to guardians and parents about the outbreak and stated that it’s normally recommended for unvaccinated children, or children who have never been exposed to the virus, to stay at home for 21 days (the incubation period). The state health department is “deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance.”

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When outbreaks like this show up, things can spiral quickly for unvaccinated children, as measles is a “highly contagious disease that can lead to complications and turn deadly.”

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Symptoms of this virus often include “fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes and a rash of red spots,” and can sometimes lead to pneumonia, encephalitis, or death, and can also weaken the immune system or even “delete” immune memory.

Advent Health Van

However, Florida isn’t the only state with an outbreak of cases. In 2024 alone, 35 cases have also been seen in 14 other states compared to a total of 58 cases in the entirety of 2023. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on this situation as it develops, so stay tuned to AllEars.